Very very appreciated. Will take that advice and go with it.
- radiator + fan
- 3G alt
- 5 Lug
Nice looking car! I agree it needs some different wheels, but that’s just personal choice. Anyway...
I’m on a “slow like a turtle” build/ restoration/ upgrade (I’m not even sure what to call it) of my car. I’ve never been afraid to tackle anything on a car, but start asking questions here, and you’ll quickly find out........ these guys absolutely know what they are talking about. and if you do your home work, it can save you a lot of money and aggravation. I’ve learned a ton and trust the opinions I receive.
And sometimes there’s some stuff that’ll make you laugh too. Either way, you’ll keep coming back!!
I’m on a “slow like a turtle” build/ restoration/ upgrade (I’m not even sure what to call it) of my car. I’ve never been afraid to tackle anything on a car, but start asking questions here, and you’ll quickly find out........ these guys absolutely know what they are talking about. and if you do your home work, it can save you a lot of money and aggravation. I’ve learned a ton and trust the opinions I receive.
And sometimes there’s some stuff that’ll make you laugh too. Either way, you’ll keep coming back!!
Factory fan with a good clutch is going to pull way more air than any e-fan setup. It's reliable and robust. Since you emphasized a reliable 30 year old daily driver, my advice is based on the best outcome to achieve that.
Converting to efan is fine if you'd line. My car cools fine in traffic with one, but if your reason for doing so is more airflow, than that's the wrong assumption about the upgrade.
If you are overheating in traffic then the issue is either airflow through the radiator, or coolant flow through the radiator. If you open the cap and siphon out some coolant, you can get a clear view of the internal fins. Are they clogged up with calcium deposits, or clear?
Now the outside of the radiator. Are the fins all bent and clogged with bugs?
Finally the fan. With the engine off, grab it and spin. It should have resistance and stop as soon as you let go. It should not be frozen in place. It also shouldn't freewheel or have light resistance.
Converting to efan is fine if you'd line. My car cools fine in traffic with one, but if your reason for doing so is more airflow, than that's the wrong assumption about the upgrade.
If you are overheating in traffic then the issue is either airflow through the radiator, or coolant flow through the radiator. If you open the cap and siphon out some coolant, you can get a clear view of the internal fins. Are they clogged up with calcium deposits, or clear?
Now the outside of the radiator. Are the fins all bent and clogged with bugs?
Finally the fan. With the engine off, grab it and spin. It should have resistance and stop as soon as you let go. It should not be frozen in place. It also shouldn't freewheel or have light resistance.
I agree the stock fan is by far going to be the best bet for your goals. I went through numerous different fans on my 331, but ended up going back to stock. It keeps the car super cool with my massive 3-Row Aluminum radiator. The issue isn't the fan its the small factory radiator that is just like Mike said probably clogged internally or has so much stuff in the fins its impeding the airflow going through it.
Thank you for that. The fan does spin VERY freely, not a lot of resistance. That was something I looked at early on and led me down the path of upgrading to eFan rather than replace the stock. From what I had read, an eFan is going to move more air in stopped traffic than a mechanic...that not the case? I haven’t done a deep dive on the fins or condition of the radiator itself because I had always planned on upgrading it.
You can get an e-fan to work fine. I sit in traffic on 90 degree days with one and it works well, but my car is not a daily commuter. It's just a matter of finding a good one that actually flows the CFM it's rated at. I run an OEM 94 V6 e-fan
Stock fan clutch setup pulls around 3000 CFM....give or take
Stock fan clutch setup pulls around 3000 CFM....give or take
Electric fans can cause reliability issues on a daily that you wouldn't experience with the factory clutch fan. I've has issues with burnt relays....bad connections and numerous other things over the last 20 years. I use Ford Contour fans controlled by my mspnp2 now. I also don't hardly ever drive my car.
The most important things for fox cooling are the air dam that goes at the bottom of the core support and the pieces of tar paper stuff that attaches to the bottom of frame rails and boxes the radiator between the sides of the upper core support and the bumper support. Those little pieces help air flow. The fan shroud is also very important.
I know a guy that runs a really healthy engine with a stock style fan. He's been using it for years with no issues.
I'd have a stock fan on my car now but the turbo piping won't allow it.
The most important things for fox cooling are the air dam that goes at the bottom of the core support and the pieces of tar paper stuff that attaches to the bottom of frame rails and boxes the radiator between the sides of the upper core support and the bumper support. Those little pieces help air flow. The fan shroud is also very important.
I know a guy that runs a really healthy engine with a stock style fan. He's been using it for years with no issues.
I'd have a stock fan on my car now but the turbo piping won't allow it.
1. Very dependent on what e-fan & controller you choose. If it uses relays, it's not powerful enough.
2. 3G alternator replaced a very bad alternator (2G).
3. Many of us still run a 4-lug, nice wheels can be found.
BTW, FRPP aluminum drive shaft is $350. You can get four 4-lug wheels for that. If you hurry, they are still on sale, $93.99/ea. + lug nuts.
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Wait until it starts raining this winter and you have your first near rear ending traffic collision. Remember, you have no traction control, antilock brakes or stability control, You're going to want to go with a brake upgrade.
Agree! I am in so cal so rains a bit less but we have had some rough winters.
Is there no value in upgrading brakes on the 4 lug rather doing the 5 lug conversion?
Not much you can really do to the 4lug setup. Rear disk, upgraded pads, new fluid. I believe max motorsports sells a kit for 4-lug brake upgrades, but at the end of the day you can put that towards a 5-lug cobra setup.
SN95 17x8 rims can be had for $200/set without tires these days. You can probably get a used set for $400 with tires.
I live in San Bernardino County.
If you're going to go with 4 lug disks in the rear it's not worth the trouble versus just going the full conversion. Plus you can go up in wheels to a much better selection of 5 lug wheels. It's well worth it in my opinion. It gives you so much more confidence and puts you on par with modern cars in the area of braking.